Pitman thats a wicked looking blade you have there.

Pit, I meant battoning to split wood.
I would think the ML would handle it better than the SAK.
<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

I'm with ya buddy, yeah it battons to split wood just fine, crazy as it sounds you can split most wood even with a butter knife. The only time you have big problems is when you have to go through a tough knot that's when you pray your knife has what it takes !
Truncating through the wood like I did with the ML is much harder on the knife as you are going against the grain.The ML is a forged blade and from what I understand the forging process makes the grain structure more compact resulting in a tougher edge.

I like that Kephart, pitman. I almost got one from BRKT, but until he replaces or makes good on my broken VP Bowie, I'm not buying any more Bark Rivers. I'm funny that way. That ML looks great. Is that a dark curly maple handle?

VERY true pit.
I remember arguing that point to macgregor a while ago...
we never did come to an understanding, but that's basically what i was trying to say.

vic, what happened with bark river?

I broke my bowie in half batoning with it and sent it in. I have contacted Mike three times about it, but I have not received another knife or refund or anything. It has been months. So I just won't do any more business with BRKT. He told me that it was a defect in the steel. I thought he was sending me a replacement, but it never came. I am darn sure not going to ask about it again. Three times is enough. I'm done with him.

self edited...OOPS <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/footinmouth.gif" alt="" />

wow.
Either they're REALLY busy (still no excuse) or... idk what.
Kinda scares me a little... ALMOST seems fishy.

I still hope you end up reimbursed in some way... eventually.

sorry to hear about that vic.

I sent it in on Feb 24 following his instructions. He told me on March 3 that he was making a replacement for it. On April 3 I asked about it again, and he said he was working on it. In the meantime he has made hundreds of new knives. I have a bunch of Bark Rivers, and I like most of them a lot, but I now know the BRKT warranty is just talk. While I love Swamp Rats, Busses, and Scrappers, and their warranty is tops, I also like traditional knives in traditional materials. Pit's ML Kephart is nice. There is no way it is as tough as a Scrapper, but it does have its appeal.

That is total BS, they just lost another potential customer. I hate it when a company gets your money than can't be found when you need something.

VERY well said vic! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbup.gif" alt="" />

and, once again, I'm sorry to hear about that.
that REALLY must be agitating.

Comparing toughness is a tricky subject Vic, when you say the ML is not as tough as a Scrapper they cannot be compared because as yet no Scrapper has been made with the stock thickness and grind of the ML Kephart.Whether or not it's because the ML is forged that makes a difference but for a knife with that fine an edge it awfully tough,when I truncated with a batton through the hard arrow wood there was zero edge damage, this was battoning the knife cross grain not with it. I have heard from a top knifemaker first hand ( he asked me not to name him ) that he has received many Bark river knives requiring their edges needing to be fixed when subjected to similar tasks !There was also a case where a Swamprat M6's edge had been thinned out by a top knifemaker and when tested it deformed badley due to thinned edge, this begs the question are Swamprat/Scrapyard blades only as tough as they are because they are built with such thick heavy grinds ? I am not disputing that they have a great heat treatment process.